Having never had this skill...

Is it just the duration that makes it inferior to normal blackjack, or does it also fail more often?

It definitely doesn't have blackjack's success rate, and blackjack's duration can also be longer.

Any idea on the new garrotte skill? On the one hand it's "cheaper" since binders get it "for free" in the course of working up their path. On the other hand, it's more restricted than blackjack in that you can't garrotte someone who's in combat.

Here is what Zulg said about it in the new announcements thief thread:


>Also, is blackjack in any way superior to garotte or would a
>binder thief have no reason to get it anymore?

Blackjack comes earlier than garrotte, that's about the only reason I see for a binder to get it.


I would speculate (read talking out my ass) that it was to simplify the blackjack code. At some point I seem to remember them changing it so your blackjacks would last longer the more binder skills you had. That way binders would have time to do what they needed, but pickpockets wouldn't be able to steal everything from your inventory and worn container, spell you up with scrolls, and spell themselves up before you woke up. Making a new binder knockout skill would get rid of the need for the extra code.

I think both.